One Small Detour
by NovemberMist
Summary: The Doctor's had it. He doesn't want to do this anymore. But how does one small child change his mind? Well, you have to read to find out. Oneshot.


A/N: Oh yeah?! well.. well.. Nyah!

**Disclaimer has been disclaimed. I own Evelyn. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC**

-----

The doctor leaned against the window, arms folded, his eyes distant as he watched the vehicles run along the road below him. He was obviously lost in thought, the small red lights fading below only reminders of the small red lights fading as his world disappeared. Tears were starting to build in his eyes again, and he took a sharp breath, turning his face to the sky, willing the tears away. The sky.. The glorious Earthen sky. The moon and stars dancing above him. A sad smile fell upon his face as he looked toward the stars that had been his twin suns. Knowing that his planet should be there, but it wasn't... And it never would be. Not in his lifetime anyway. The tears fell from the corners of his eyes, finally, and he wiped at them impatiently. No time for this human emotional stuff now. He had history to protect. He looked around the room silently, and ducked out, heading for his TARDIS. No one noticed him leave. But maybe it was better that way. As he stalked through the snow he thought about everything. Everything that had happened in the past three years. Rose, Donna, Martha. The Master, Captain Jack.. The Face of Boe. No one wanted to stay with him, and the only one who had, had been forced out of his life. The universe certainly was cruel to him, wasn't it? First it ripped away his family, his planet, all of it. Let him survive, alone.. But not alone. Then Rose is sucked into a completely different universe, never to set eyes on him, or wrap her arms around him in one of her "I can't believe we're alive!" hugs. He scared Donna off. Pushed Martha away. Pushed Jack away too, come to think of it. The only other Time Lord left in existence chose death over him. He wasn't sure he could take it anymore...

"No... No, I _can't_ take it anymore. And I won't." His jaw set stubbornly, he walked with a new purpose as he headed for the TARDIS. He arrived shortly, throwing open the door, and moving to the control panel quickly. Tears stung his eyes still, partly from the cold, and partly from the memories still playing in his head. Everything he should have, or could have said chasing them around. He set his coordinates easily enough, patting the console in front of him affectionately. "Nope.. We'll never be alone again, old girl. Never again."

So wrapped up was he, in his memories and his determination to end it all, that he hadn't noticed the small child hiding on the TARDIS floor. The TARDIS whirred through time and space, taking him to the end. The end of the universe. He smiled grimly, grabbing his coat and throwing it on. He opened the door, then stopped and looked back one last time. He took in everything. But it was no wonder that he still hadn't noticed the child, as the small thing had raced out between him and the TARDIS' door frame. He sighed, resigned to end it the time. For good. But he left the TARDIS on, left her alive. Let her run and abandon him if she wished. He knew she wouldn't. But at least he gave her the choice. He turned to his new "home" where he'd be spending the last four days of his life. The last four days of the Universe, all to himself and the TARDIS. And the child that stood in front of him, staring out into the horrors and fire that was the end of everything.

"What? But.. How did you..? Where did you..? What?!" The Doctor looked frantic, as he looked at the child. She turned to face him, her face contorted, and tears already starting down her cheeks. "Oh... Oh no, please don't--" The child screamed. She screamed and she cried. She fell to her knees and sat there, crying for the universe that was dying before her. She couldn't have been very old. Four, maybe five. Her hair was the same ginger he was always hoping for, falling loosely around her shoulders. She wore a dress suited for a girl as young as her. Flowers all about it, and slightly poofy, just like the princesses she saw on the telly.

The Doctor could only look at her misery and sigh. He had to go back. He couldn't let this child, this poor child, who's parent's were probably worried sick, stay here and die with him. He had to go back. But he wasn't sure he'd have the strength to come back here and end it afterwards. He sighed again, stepping forward and cradling the small child in his arms, hushing and cooing at her, willing her to stop crying. She slowly calmed down, sniffling, and looking at the stranger with big green-brown eyes, still filled with tears. She looked as though she might start crying again, and the Doctor couldn't have that. He grinned down at her, standing up, keeping her in his arms.

"There, see? Nothing to cry about. Come on now, I'd best get you home. I bet your Mummy's just frightened you've gotten lost somewhere." He stopped abruptly before the TARDIS. "Well, I suppose being one hundred trillion years in the future, watching the whole of creation die would count as being lost, wouldn't it?" The girl in his arms contracted her face again, and the Doctor hurried into the TARDIS, not eager for another bout of crying.

"There now, there there... Just... Sit here for a moment and we'll have you home in no time at all." He placed the girl on the chair near the control panel, and set to work on the destination. He looked at the girl over his shoulder, to see her watching him in earnest, her legs pulled up to her chest, a finger at her mouth as she tried not to cry. A few hiccoughs escaped her lips, making her small frame jump slightly every so often. He smiled at her again. Having the coordinates set, he turned to face her, leaning against the controls.

"There we are. No time at all. Now then, may I ask what your name is?" He asked nicely, trying to be polite without confusing or scaring the girl. He smiled again, waiting for her answer. Timidly, she took her hand from her mouth and answered, her voice muffled somewhat by her knees.

"Evelyn..." She hiccoughed lightly, returning her hand to her mouth, and eyeing the doctor shyly. The Doctor kneeled down, placing himself at Evelyn's eye level.

"Evelyn then, is it? Well that's a pretty name. Evelyn." He played with it, seeing how it fit in his mouth. Stretching different syllables. Evelyn giggled at the funny versions of her name, a small smile gracing her face. "Well that's more like it 'ey? A nice smile for your little face! And what a beautiful smile it is! So, Evelyn, how old are you?"

"I'm..." She looked confused for a minute as she tried to count her age. A bright smile lit up her face, and she thrust a fistful of fingers into the Doctor's face. "This many!"

The Doctor laughed, counting the fingers she held up. Four. Alright, he hadn't been far off. Four. What a small child... How did she end up in the TARDIS? Or better yet, why hadn't the TARDIS told him she was here? Certainly she knew. If she was up to her tricks again, he might have to leave her somewhere for a while.

Suddenly, and almost as though reading his mind, the TARDIS came to a crashing halt, throwing the Doctor to the floor. Since Evelyn was sitting down, she didn't fall over. Not to the floor, anyway, she simply fell over onto the side of the chair. The Doctor jumped up and looked at the screen over his console. A confused look sprang upon his face.

"Wait, what? Why are we... Oh, I see. You couldn't have told me that any sooner could you?" He asked his ship in frustration. They were, in fact, sitting on the rift in Cardiff. Which was not where he needed to be right now. He needed to be near Powell Estate so he could get Evelyn back to her parents. Since she had snuck on to the TARDIS during the Doctor's visit to what used to be the Tyler's flat, it was safe to assume that was close to where her parents would be. It would be the easiest way to find her home. He sighed. It would be a good twelve hours to charge up, at least. The rift hadn't been active recent, so it would be slow charging. And he didn't exactly have anything to _do_, now did he? Just visit with this four year old who had unexpectedly saved his life. He turned to the young girl, who was now much more relaxed, sitting on the chair with her legs kicking back and forth under it. He smiled.

"Well, Evelyn, it looks like we'd had a bit of a pit stop. Could be here a while. I'm... Doctor Smith, by the way." He smiled lightly, using his alias for the child. She was much to younger to know the truth. It could end badly. Evelyn grinned back up at him.

"Are you an owie doctor?" She asked, a look of pure innocent curiosity on her face. His grin only widened as he nodded. He was indeed an owie doctor; he fixed the owies of whole planets, after all.

"So what do you want to do? We have one whole day stuck here for now. Do you want to play a game?" He asked, kneeling down to talk to her again. Her face broke into a wide smile and she nodded enthusiastically. Her mood was contagious, and soon the Doctor was smiling just as broadly as she was. "Alright, what game should we play?"

"Hide and Seek! hide and seek!!" She bounced up and down on the seat, emphasizing the words, and her desire to play. The Doctor wasn't too sure however... The TARDIS was pretty big, she might get lost... Or hurt, if she wandered into the wrong room. As if urging him on, the TARDIS hummed, and the click of locking doors sounded in his mind. He grinned in defeat. Hide and seek it was.

"Alright then, I'll count, and you go hide. Ready?" She nodded happily, jumping off the chair. The doctor closed his eyes, covered his face, and started counting.

"One... Two... Three... Four..."

"Forty-eight, forty-nine... Fifty! Ready or not, Evelyn, here I come!" The Doctor jumped to his feet, and took off down the corridor, ready to find her. The TARDIS had locked all of the dangerous rooms, which, really, included most of them. There were only a few places she could hide. He opened the first door. His study, or bedroom. Mostly a study. The bed was mostly there for comfort, and decoration. He looked around his books and under his desk, sure he would find her each time he looked, but always finding it just as he'd left it. He frowned after searching the whole room, and still not finding the small girl. She was pretty good at this. He grinned widely, and closed the door, turning to the next.

This had been Martha's room. She hadn't had a lot of stuff on the TARDIS to begin with, and all she had brought on she had taken home with her. With the exception of the cell phone that sat in the Doctor's pocket. It was a little difficult going in there, even now, but there were worse things. It looked as though no one had been there in years, really. Everything was just as it had been before Martha had come on board the TARDIS. With the exception of a small lump under the sheets of the bed. He grinned, grabbing the top carefully, then snapping the sheets back. No girl. A teddy bear, and a pillow, but no girl. Perhaps he had counted too long, if she'd found time to leave distractions for him. He looked under the bed, still nothing. Under the desk... Nope. The closet? No. Okay, so she wasn't in here. He put everything back as it should be, scanning the room in case he forgot anything. Then spun around quickly, expecting to see her hiding behind the door. But no. She wasn't in here. Shrugging, he turned back out, shutting off the light and closing the door.

He stood in the corridor for a moment, trying to think where else she could be. He dashed off to check the other rooms. The bathroom, the "kitchen", the giant wardrobe where he kept the costumes for all the different worlds and times he visited. She was nowhere. He stood in the corridor again, trying to think of any other rooms she could have hidden in. Then it occured to him. The TARDIS had locked the_dangerous_ doors. The doors that led to a room where Evelyn was likely to get hurt. Not the rooms that the Doctor didn't frequently use. Not the doors that the Doctor left alone, afraid of misplacing small, insignificant, but so important details. Not Rose's room. He glared up into the ship.

"Oh that's very funny. Can't let me have any fun without being reminded, can you?" He called out to the TARDIS. Silence was his only answer. Grumbling unhappily he set out for Rose's room. It's not that he didn't avoid the room, he was just... So afraid of changing it. What if she did come back? He couldn't have her thinking he'd been snooping through her stuff. Okay, so it was impossible. But It wouldn't be the first impossible experience he'd had since meeting Rose Tyler, now would it?

He came to her door sooner than he was expecting. It stood out in the coral hall way, a bright pink against all the orange. An almost welcome change. Perhaps that had lured Evelyn to it in the first place. He took a breath, not quite sure if he was ready to walk into Rose's room again, and pushed open the door. The light came on almost as soon as he'd opened the door. Rose's clothes were still scattered about, the bed looked as though she had only left it this morning. The desk was covered in magazines, a few books and some make-up. She really had lived here. The air still smelled of the shampoo she used in her hair. The Doctor walked in to the room, careful not to kick any of the clothes on the floor out of place. He looked around the room, his eyes filling with tears, forgetting for the moment that he was supposed to be searching for a four year old girl with ginger hair and hazel-green eyes. His hand traced the edge of her desk the same way it would stroke the railings of the TARDIS' control room. He sat down on the bed, with it's rose-coloured sheets,and Rose's scent coming up to meet his nostrils, which flared with recognition. He couldn't take it. His face fell to his hands, and he cried. The tear fell through his fingers, sobs wracking his body fiercely. He hadn't cried like this since the Master had chosen to die in his arms, rather than spend his life with him. He cried with all the passion of some one who was alone, of some one who had been abused and broken so many times it was a wonder there was anything left. And he couldn't stop. He rocked himself on the pink bed, his sobs getting out of control, the whine in his throat building.

"Doctor? Are you okay?" A small hand rested on his knee, as a small voice cut through his pain and sorrow. He looked up through his tears, to see Evelyn peering up at him worriedly from the floor, leaning on one hand as she sat, while the other rested on his knee. She moved it from his knee and wiped the tears from his face.

"Do you have an owie, Doctor?" She asked sweetly, her eyes showing her eagerness to help. He could only nod at her, a knot forming in his throat.

"I.. I have a very big owie, Evelyn," he replied, as he leaned back and placed a hand over his chest. "Right here. A very, very big owie."

Evelyn adjusted herself on the floor crossing her arms over the Doctors knees and resting her head there.

"When I get big owies, my Mummy used to kiss them, and then they feel all better. Where's your Mummy? Can she kiss it better for you?" Her head tilted to the side in curiosity, her hair falling loosely to the side. The Doctor laughed lightly at her antics, smiling a sad smile.

"No, she.. She can't... My Mummy's in.. In heaven now, Evelyn. She can't kiss my owies better from there." He told her, using the human euphemism for death, hoping the child understood. Evidently, she did, as she nodded sadly at him.

"My Mummy's gone to heaven now too. Did your Mummy ever kiss your owies better?" She asked him in child wonder. He nodded lightly, still weeping slightly. Evelyn saw the new tears on the Doctors face, and looked sad. She stood on her knees, moving closer to the Doctor, and placed a small kiss on the spot where he had told her his "owie" was, then sat back down.

"Does it feel better, Doctor?" She asked sweetly, he hands folded in her lap, her eyes showing how badly she wanted it to have worked. The Doctor couldn't help himself. He let out a small laugh and nodded, tousling her hair with one of his hands.

"It does indeed. Thank you, Evelyn." He smiled down at her, and she returned in it with a wide toothy grin. "Say Evelyn. How would you like to hear a story?" The small child nodded enthusiastically, and the Doctor grinned. He picked the girl up, and put her on the bed beside him, and laid down across the pink sheets, staring at the ceiling.

"A long time ago... Actually, I guess it wasn't that long ago really... About a year ago I suppose... Anyway, there was a princess. You do like princesses and things, don't you?" At the small girl's nod, he continued. "Right, good. So there was a Princess, and her name was Rose..." And he continued to tell her Rose's story. She laughed at some parts, and gasped in fright at others. Of course, the Doctor didn't tell her ALL of it. Some parts were too scary for a four year old human. And some were just inappropriate. He was nearing the end now, and she was curled up in the crook of his arm, her head on his chest, listening intently to the story, and his twin hearts beat.

"...And she looked at the Traveller, with a great sadness in her eyes, crying. She drew in a deep breath and told him she loved him. He smiled at his beautiful princess, happy to have heard her say it. He started to reply, but his time was up, and he vanished, never to be seen by Princess Rose again." The tears had returned now, and he could feel Evelyn crying, her own tears soaking through his shirt. Her sat up, cradling her. "Oh, there now... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to make you cry... Hush, please Evelyn? Please don't cry."

The little girl stifled her sobs long enough to look up into his face, and see his own tears falling. Another sob escaped her, and the Doctor looked so sad, making it that much worse. Finally she got herself under control enough to ask between hiccoughs.

"Is.. Is that what... Happened to.. You? Doctor?" With a sad smile, he nodded, and she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, crying on his shoulder. He hugged her back, giving her comfort, but taking the same comfort she was offering him as well. They stayed like that for a while, just crying with each other, before Evelyn slowly started to fall asleep. The Doctor pulled her off of him gently, cradling her to his chest as she drifted off. He smiled at her sleeping form, brushing stray hair out of her eyes. He stood up slowly, being careful not to wake the child sleeping in his arms, only to turn around and place her in Rose's bed, and cover her with the tossed aside comforter. He brushed her hair lightly, before leaving the room to check on the state of the TARDIS.

He wiped the tears from his face as he walked into the room, and looked at the display on the screen. They had been in there longer than he'd thought. The TARDIS was almost fully charged and ready to go. He sat back in his chair, and waited for the screen to tell him it was time to go. He sat back, his hands behind his head, feet up on the console, and let himself get lost in his thoughts again. Lost to his thoughts about Rose. Oh how he missed her. He really did. Probably more than any other companion, save for Susan. But Susan was family, so does that really count? He didn't think it should. Sure, all of his companions had been great, but Rose had been special. He wasn't sure why, she just... Was. He had no doubt in his mind that she would have given him forever too, had she been able to. She had saved his life probably as many times as he'd saved hers... Only she'd also saved him from himself... And from loneliness... But he'd pushed Martha away because of it too. She couldn't stand to live in Rose's shadow, he'd known that. But he hadn't tried to make it any better for her either. Pointing out things that Rose would do... When he needed Rose... When he needed anyone. Martha was a great companion, he really wished she'd stayed longer. But now he had... Well, he had Evelyn for the moment, but that couldn't last. She was only four. Maybe when she's older though. She might make a good companion. And damn, she was ginger! He'd wanted to be ginger. Some people get all the luck.

A small beeping noise pulled him from his thoughts, and he looked at the screen. The TARDIS was ready to go. He grinned, almost sadly, and set the coordinates again, pulled the lever, and they were off once more, to the Powell Estate. It was a quick trip, since the TARDIS was already on earth, in the right time period, and the right continent. As she materialized in the same spot, a whole day later than she had last been there, the Doctor ran back to Rose's room to get Evelyn. When he arrived, she was no longer tucked under Rose's comforter, but sitting on her bed, looking at some photographs Rose had left in the TARDIS, giggling at the one she was looking at now. She looked up when the Doctor opened the door, and jumped off the bed, running to him.

"Look Doctor! Look! Is this Princess Rose?" She asked, holding up two pictures for him, pointing excitedly at a girl with blonde hair in one of the pictures. The Doctor smiled sadly at the photograph. It was one her Mother had taken just before they headed out again after the Christmas invasion of the Sycorax. Rose was smiling widely, holding his hand, while he smiled back at her fondly. He switched to look at the other photograph, the one Evelyn was giggling about, and a wide grin broke out across his face. This one was a photo of him, talking animatedly to Captain Jack, and Rose was making faces at the camera just above his head, almost imitating him. He couldn't help but laugh at that one. Giving the pictures back he nodded at her.

"Yes Evelyn, that's Princess Rose." He told her, and she smiled again, running to put the pictures back. "We're here now Evelyn. You can go home to your family."

"Really Doctor?! I'm home?" she ran back to him, jumping up and down. He nodded at her and she screamed in happiness, running to the control room of the TARDIS. "i'm home! I'm home, I'm home, I'm home!!"

The Doctor ran down the hall behind her, joining her at the door as she pulled it open. sure enough, there was the street, just as it had been when she'd wandered away from her Daddy's hand to investigate the big blue box. She jumped up and down excitedly, and started down the street, calling for the Doctor to follow. Which of course, he did. Followed her down the street to another street, and eventually to her house. She raced up the steps, and waited for the Doctor to join her before running in the door, screaming.

"Daddy, Daddy! I'm home!! Daddy, come here, you have to meet him, he's so cool! Come on Daddy, come on!" The Doctor could hear her run through the house, and heard another voice join hers as they approached the doorway.

"Where have you been?! I've been worried sick.. Meet who? Okay, okay, Evelyn, calm down." And they appeared at the door. The Doctor grinned at the man, and held out his hand in greeting.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor. I found Evelyn wandering around near my house late last night. Hope there's no harm done?" The Doctor introduced himself politely. Evelyn's father grabbed his hand in a firm handshake.

"Well, thank you Doctor. I was worried sick about her. She just disappeared last night on our walk home. I was afraid I'd lost her." The man grinned at the Doctor, obviously quite sincere. The Doctor smiled back.

"I'm glad I could bring her home." The Doctor assured him. He could see where Evelyn got her ginger hair from. He cursed it all in his mind. Some people get all the luck. After a few minutes of listening to Evelyn tell her father about all the cool things she'd seen, and the awesome story the Doctor told her, the Doctor laughed. "Yes, i'm a bit of a basement scientist. Except I don't have a basement, so it's all in the front room. But I'd best be off. Experiments waiting for me."

And he gave Evelyn a last good bye, and bid her father farewell too, as he walked down the street, back toward his TARDIS, and home. He paused a moment looking at a small bookstore on the corner of the alley were he'd left the TARDIS. He blinked at the sign, and ducked into the shop for a moment, but came out again looking somewhat dismayed. He cast a last glance up at the sign before turning back to the TARDIS, an almost hopeful spring in his step. There's no way he could return to the end of everything after that. Besides. He was still a coward. Every time.

The sign read "Bad Wolf Books".

------

A/N: So HA! xp How d'you like me now?! No really. This was my first complete Doctor Who fic. I'm really proud of it actually. Took me about... I dunno, two, maybe three hours to write? And I left room for more. Don't think there will be, not in this particular story/series... Though I may write more about Evelyn if I get a chance. I rather liked her. Anyway, that's it. Reviews are nice. I might write more Doctor Who fics if people like them.


End file.
